UJUAL's Design Award
The best Art and Design university in Asia
UJUAL, founded by Khaled Abdo during his time at Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts, Asia's largest art and design institution, represents a unique opportunity to confront design ideas with leading figures in the field.
In addition, the academy's environment and unique programming removes the barriers between the different design disciplines, allowing students to pursue the curriculum not through the prism of one field but through that of a project, so that CAFA students are not limited to graphic design, fashion or industrial design, but can choose courses from each field if they feel it will nurture their project.
This provided fertile ground for the development of UJUAL, making it easier for Khaled to explore all the design aspects involved in developing such a project.
The UJUAL project, developed during my studies under the name DENG, was awarded the Outstanding Graduation Award in recognition of its innovative design in terms of simplicity, functionality, modularity and sustainability.
The project's novel features and thoughtful execution from different design prisms, which captivated the attention of CAFA's faculty and external experts, demonstrated a practical application of Khaled's academic knowledge, highlighting his ability to challenge and redefine conventional product standards.
An outstanding design
UJUAL's award and the recognition from my professors were the first confirmation that the project made sense in the design landscape, and gave me the confidence and assurance to pursue it beyond the academic sphere.
This solid foundation, together with the advice of my professors, enabled me to quickly steer the project towards the new challenges of marketing, sales and development.
Following this academic recognition, UJUAL's designs were the subject of a two-week exhibition at the CAFA museum, attracting an audience of around 100,000 visitors.
This public exhibition brought UJUAL into contact with a vast audience, generating interest and dialogue around its features and the value of purchasing such a product for use in everyday life. The exhibition served as an important platform for UJUAL, demonstrating the project's appeal and relevance to a wider, more diverse audience.
